Hi everyone, this is my first post on Secret Leeds and I wasn't sure which forum would be the most applicable, so if this is in the wrong place then I can only apologize.

I was wondering if anyone here remembers Debra Schlesinger. She was just 18 years old when she was murdered on 21st April 1977. She was killed on her way home from a night out, right outside her home, if memory serves. I think she lived on the Hawksworth Estate, but I could be wrong. I was barely 8 years old and it was in the middle of the whole Yorkshire Ripper thing. As far as I am aware her murder remains unsolved to this day.

Thankyou for taking the time to read this,

Han.

Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. But give him a religion and he'll starve to death, while praying for a fish.

Hi Johnny, thanks for your reply. "Officially", Debra was/is not counted as a "Ripper" victim, though in fact she may well have been, we still just don't know for sure. She is among those murders that fell into what ACC George Oldfield described as a "grey area." If Sutcliffe keeps pushing for transfer to a medium security prison, as a first step torward parole, W.Yorks Police have said that Debra's murder is one, among several, that they may re-investigate with a view to charging him with.

Thanks again,

Han.

P.S. Could you point to the website where you found the info on Debra, cheers.

Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. But give him a religion and he'll starve to death, while praying for a fish.

Hi Steve, thanks for that. Actual Keith and I have corresponded on this and related topics regularly over the years. You're quite right, his site is the best and most informative, an invaluable source on the whole sorry affair. The only downside for us is that he lives in Canada, so we can't chew the fat over a few pints.

Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. But give him a religion and he'll starve to death, while praying for a fish.

It seems Sutcliffe may have confessed to Debra's murder when Keith Helliwell spoke to him with regard to a number of unsolved crimes in the 1990s?

Debra's killing wasn't a typical Sutcliffe attack so you would assume there must be some compelling reason to suggest that Sutcliffe could be charged with her murder in an attempt to keep him in prison.

Her death was a horrible one, and I hope whoever is responsible will one day be held to account.